Heating apparatus for heat shrinkable tubing or the like is described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,246,486 by Bartok. That heating apparatus has a plurality of heating elements such as incandescent bulbs within reflectors which concentrate the heat from such bulbs into a small region. Objects placed in this focal region are thereby heated. A significant use of such apparatus is to heat shrink tubing such as commonly used around electrical wiring bundles and the like. Such apparatus may also be used for soldering, desoldering and other purposes where concentrated high temperature is desired.
This invention comprises a handheld tool for heating tubing or the like as an improvement over what is described in the aforementioned Bartok patent. The handheld tool can be taken to the workpiece to be heated rather than taking the workpiece to heating apparatus.